Six Years

What do you say about a person that has made your whole life better? What do you say about a person who is somehow all the things you needed, but didn’t know it? What do you say about a person who is quite literally the best looking human you’ve ever seen? 

I don’t know. There are so many things I could say. 

I could tell you about the time I used to imagine who my husband would be and I thought to myself, “Well, he has to be a musician. But it would be pretty cool if he were a police officer too.” 

I could tell you about how I would wonder what his name would be and I thought to myself, “Something that starts with ‘J’ would be nice. But I think Sam is a good name too.” 

I could tell you about how when I met Sam, before we started dating, I knew I was going to marry him. And years later when I told him about the moment I knew, he proceeded to finish the story about where we were standing and what we were doing. I looked at him in disbelief and asked how he knew and he answered, “Because that’s when I knew too.” 

I could tell you about how without fail, when I wake up in the morning, that guy tells me I’m beautiful. Don’t worry, I know that I’m not that pretty when I wake up. But he tells me I am, and the best part is, he means it. 

I could tell you about how when I tell him something I want to do, his answer is always, “Let’s do it.” No matter how big or crazy, far-fetched or impossible, he’s always ready to jump into it with me. 

I could tell you about how he LOVES to make me laugh. That guy will bend over backwards just to get me to laugh. 

It’s all of that and a thousand other little things too. 

I am immensely grateful that this is the person I get to share my life with. Every adventure, every hardship. Mountains and valleys, victories and losses, every one of them is better with him. 

Someone asked me the other day if Sam was my gift for Christmas and without even thinking about it I answered, “Nah, he’s my gift every day.” 

Funny how out of the heart the mouth speaks, isn’t it? 

Happy Anniversary to us, my Love. Here’s to a thousand more. 

If Donald Trump Is President

Watching the world post-election is amusing. Scratch that. It's sad. 

I could go into great detail about how ridiculous it is to protest the election of a president. Just so we’re all clear, you understand the government didn’t elect Donald Trump- the people did. There’s no one to protest. Your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. voted differently from you and we now have a president. And just like you, they have the right to vote for whomever they please. 

Like it or hate it, this is the system we use. 

Maybe the media could do us a favor by stopping the coverage of protestors and people who want to belittle the vote of the people. It makes it seem like the majority of the country doesn’t want Donald Trump as our president, and unfortunately, according to the VOTES- that’s simply not true. 

I think most of all, I’m so grateful that I grew up with parents that when something didn’t go my way told me to “get over it.” I realize the people growing up a few years behind me are being taught that they don’t have to “get over it” but rather, to have a melt down. College campuses are having cry-ins* for goodness sake. Lord help us all when these people join the real world and realize that bosses don’t care about “safe spaces” or “cry-ins” when something doesn't go your way. 

I had friends tell me that their bosses and co-workers didn’t show up for work the day (or days) following the election because they simply couldn’t cope. 

Again. I am so thankful my parents taught me to “get over it.” 

Secondly, I’m thankful for parents who “got over it” every time a president was elected that they opposed. Not once did my parents, family members, or friend’s parents get out in the street and protest a president elect. Thank God they didn’t. 

In honesty, I think they had common sense and understood that when a president is elected there is NO ONE to protest, except your fellow man. And what point is there in that? 

I don’t want to seem harsh, or unfeeling. But sometimes real love, is hard truth. And the hard truth is, we’ve elected a president. And the time has come to buck up and support the president the people elected. You don’t have to like him, but he holds the highest office in this country, and honor is due. 

I know honor is a concept that is lost on people now. We tend to think it's archaic to honor someone we don't agree with. Make no mistake, how people treat authorities like police is directly connected to the response to our president elect. It’s a scary world without honor. We think we only have to honor those we have determined are worthy of it. That’s not how honor works. I think honor is directly connected to pride. You can't honor because you’re proud. You won't honor someone because you've decided they don't deserve it. You think you know best. But Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “prides goes before destruction.” That means that pride will destroy you. And in this case, pride will destroy our country. 

Funny, pride is already destroying our country physically. People are rioting, destroying towns and burning flags, all in the name of "protest." Don’t think pride isn’t a factor here. Pride lurks in the background and lets fear take all the credit. But the result is the same. You’ll be deceived and destroyed. Because that’s what fear and pride do. 

To be really honest with you, I survived 8 years of a president I didn’t vote for. No cry-ins. No falling apart. No angry protesting. No safe spaces. I survived. You will too. 

I know this is a difficult time for some. So here is a list of things you can be sure of, if Donald Trump is president. 

I'll be your friend, no matter who you voted for.
I'll hold your hand if you're afraid of the future.
I'll listen if you need to talk it through.
I'll be patient with you.
I'll be honest with you.
I'll pray with you.
I'll be kind to you.
I'll love you.

I am sorry if you are currently devastated by the results of this election. But I would like to submit to you, that fear is a tricky thing. It’s irrational and often convinces you to believe things that aren’t true. There is an unbelievable amount of fear in regard to Donald Trump. People are terrified of things he hasn’t said, and things he hasn’t done. Take a deep breath. 

There IS hope. There is ALWAYS hope. And we’re in this together. And we need each other, now maybe more than ever. 

So come on, get up. Let’s wipe the tears. I’ll hold your hand and we can walk this thing out together. We’re gonna be ok. 

• http://cornellsun.com/2016/11/09/devastated-cornellians-mourn-election-of-donald-trump-at-cry-in/

Election Day

Today’s the day. The culmination of everything we've endured the last year and a half. 

I tend to be reflective on days like these. I think. I reminisce. I pray. I hope. I remember being young and always being interested in the political process. I always looked forward to being old enough to vote. I look forward to participating in the process every year. 

These moments stir something in me. It’s significant. What we do today matters. 

I can’t say why voting matters so deeply to me. Maybe because it evokes the pride I have in being an American. People have started saying recently that this country was never great. How sad. This country has been great. It IS great. It will be great in the future. This country was a beacon of hope in the world. People came here for freedom. People came here because anything was possible. There was hope in America. Yes, I understand the issues. I know we’re not perfect. I know we’ve made terrible choices. But don’t tell me this country isn’t great. 

Don’t waste your vote today. Don’t fall prey to the idea that no vote is better than voting for someone you don’t agree with. Pray. Then go out there and vote biblically. It’s the very best we can do. 

Vote because you’re a citizen of this nation. Vote because it’s your responsibility to participate in this process. Vote because people have died defending your right to. Vote because your voice matters. Vote because you have the freedom to do so. Vote because you can make a difference. Vote because it’s a honor to make your voice heard. Just VOTE. 

And lastly. Don’t be ugly today. Tomorrow we’ll all wake up and there will be a new president for our nation. And we all still have to live with one another. 

So no matter who you vote for, remember we’re still in this together. 

A New Feminism

I read an article recently about five celebrity men who are "self-proclaimed feminists" and very proud of it, apparently.

The idea of that is nice. A sound sentiment, to be sure.

But in this day and age, I think the idea of feminism is both redundant and ineffective.

Now, let's be clear. I am a woman. A strong, brutally honest, independent and opinionated woman at that. I've been called intimidating and bossy. Aggressive. Harsh. Cold. Unfeeling. A robot. The list goes on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not offended. Well. Unfeeling is a little hurtful. That one actually isn't true. 
But I want to laugh when women are offended about being called bossy. Fine, I'm bossy. When you're the best you can be bossy. Until then, I'll be bossy. ;)

But I digress. The point is, I AM a woman.

I think modern feminism has ruined us in a way. Feminism has created a world where woman think they're better than men. And it’s very subtle, because no one would ever say it outright. But think about it- it's everywhere. TV shows, movies and commercials. More often than not men are portrayed as silly, ignorant, immature, bumbling fools. They're shown as the clueless father, and only the mother can relate to her children. In every argument between husbands and wives, the man is wrong, the woman is right.

It's embarrassing actually. I'm embarrassed by the portrayal of men in the entertainment world. I’m embarrassed to think that we perpetuate an idea that women are better than men and then call it feminism. And if you know me at all, you know how I feel about extremism. Feminism has created an extreme. Woman rules all, and men are our subjects to control and demean as we see fit. I think it’s somehow to make up for the years when women were lesser than. It apparently doesn’t matter that those days are over, we have to make the oppressive men pay! 

Feminism began because a time once existed in which women were truly not equal to men. We couldn’t own property, or vote. We weren’t taken seriously without a husband, or a man to vouch for us.

It does make me angry to think that there was a time when the world viewed woman as less important or valuable than men. It makes me angry to think that places exist in the world where this is still true. It’s disgusting to me.

As a woman, I have to be honest. I don’t NEED feminism. And here’s why: Simply by the fact that I am a living, breathing person, I AM EQUAL. A man has no more inherent value than I do. I don’t need feminism to tell me that I’m valuable, or that I’m equal to a man. I am equal because I’m a person- the same way that any man is a person. I could also point out that even the Apostle Paul informed us that in Jesus, male or female doesn’t matter, because we’re all one in Christ (Galatians 3:26-29). No one is excluded. 

So forgive me, I’m not impressed by your self-proclaimed feminism. Every single person on the face of this earth should be a “feminist.” 

And yes, I’m aware of the gender wage-gap argument. I could point out that studies* have been done to show that when woman are paid less in the professional world it’s usually because they’ve chosen a field or specialty that isn’t as highly paying as other fields. Not because a woman automatically gets paid less. I could also point out that if companies could get away with paying women less based on gender alone, no company would ever hire men. Why pay more when you can pay less on something as arbitrary as gender? It’s just simple dollars and cents.

I'm also aware of the company line that says "feminism is about equality!" That's great. However. The vast majority of "feminism" that is portrayed in the world doesn't support that line. Most of the time, feminism comes across as degrading and ugly. It screams equality while it's actions tear down anyone who stands in it's way. It doesn't make sense. 

I’ve even recently heard the argument that people want to vote for a particular presidential candidate because she’s a woman and it’s “historical.” I would like to point out that voting for a woman simply because she’s a woman is actually the very antithesis of feminism, but that’s probably none of my business. 

I absolutely reject the idea that anything should be handed to me because I’m woman. And you know what, I’ll gladly work harder than the dude next to me, because I want to prove that I deserve a job because I’m the BEST, not because I’m a woman. If I get turned down, that’s ok. I’ll work harder, be better and in the end, they’ll wish they’d hired me. But that’s my own tenacity talking now. In all honesty, most of the time, I think a lot of women are very sore losers. Women don’t want to admit that a man might be better at something than they are, or have better experience or expertise.  

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure there are people out there who possess a prejudice against women. Most of the time, it’s probably unintentional, or sub-conscious. Based on how they were raised perhaps. I have no doubt that it exists. I don’t think it rules the world. 

Don't misunderstand me. I'm FOR women. I like strong women. I identify with strong women. I enjoy working with strong women. I love seeing women succeed. But not at the expense of men. Sorry. That's not a feminism I want to be a part of. 

I think we need a new kind of feminism. A feminism that doesn’t need to degrade men. A feminism that doesn’t need to rule all. A feminism that knows and generously acknowledges that we are ALL equal and important, simply because we are living, breathing human beings. A feminism whose actions match their words. A feminism that is willing to earn the right to be recognized because we’re the best, not because we’re women. A feminism that is strong and proud, because women are awesome. A feminism that respects and honors men, because they’re awesome too. 

Bottom line: I don't want to live in a world where Man is king and I don't want to live in a world where Woman is king. I want to live in a world (and this is probably some very wide-eyed idealism on my part) where the right people are in the right places for the right reasons. And things like gender or race aren't factors, because it simply doesn't matter.
But that's just me. 

*Prager University: https://youtu.be/1oqyrflOQFc

Life & Choice

I read this book recently. Timely, in light of our current political state. 

I would encourage you to read it for yourself. It’s graphic. It’s honest. It’s vulnerable. A real first-person account of working in the world of Planned Parenthood. In all honesty, it’s startling and eye-opening. But worth the read. 

I’ve been thinking about abortion quite a lot recently. Maybe it’s the current climate. Maybe it’s just getting older, and considering how precious life is. Maybe because I don’t recall the pro-life/pro-choice debate ever being so hotly contested in my lifetime. 

Please, don’t misunderstand. This isn’t about democratic v. republican ideology. This is about life and death. This isn’t about condemnation. Honestly, I think the issue of abortion is far more spiritual than it is political. 

But we’ve really convinced ourselves of the value, the need, the importance of abortion. 

Don’t you think it’s funny that the primary verbiage we use is “Women’s Choice” and not abortion? Interesting, isn’t it. Is it possible we don't want to own up to what that really means? Just a thought. 

We’ve conditioned ourselves to really believe that the first priority is Women’s Choice. Not life. 

Let’s be honest. It’s utterly ridiculous to say that a baby (“fetus”) isn’t a baby from conception on. Consider the logic of that for a moment. How can something that is "not a baby", magically become a baby at some point? I don't believe a form of logic exists wherein that makes sense. 

I’m bothered by the tone and attitude with which we discuss this issue. Maybe I could take it better if we could be honest about what this is. Abortion IS murder. It’s not pretty, but there it is. It’s not a righteous cause. Let’s be honest and discuss why we’re ok with murdering innocent babies in the name of women’s lib. 

The most recent estimates* I can find show that nearly 60 MILLION babies have been aborted since the approval of Roe v. Wade in 1973. That number staggers me. It guts me. I can’t fathom it. 60 MILLION. 

Consider for a moment how many people are missing from the world that should be here. Husbands and wives, sons and daughters. Friends, cousins, co-workers. These are PEOPLE we’re talking about. 

Because- make no mistake, they are people. We can make ourselves feel good by saying it’s about women’s rights. We can expunge ourselves of any responsibility by saying “it’s a fetus, not a baby.” But those are just words, and frankly, they’re untrue. 

It IS a baby. And it’s devastating.  

We could talk about the 7 characteristics that are generally used to determine life in any organism. I could tell you that growth is one of the chief characteristics. Just so we’re clear- a heartbeat is not one of the 7 characteristics. But again, so we’re clear, even a “fetus” is growing. From conception on, growth is happening. 

For example. A tree is living organism. It grows, yet it doesn’t have a heartbeat. But we KNOW that a tree is living thing. Interesting, don’t you think? 

We could talk about how life is so much more than 9 months in a womb, or the decades following. We could talk about how life is eternal. How, as Psalm 139 says, God knit us together in our mother's womb and wrote every day of our lives before we ever took a breath. Life is precious, and eternal.

But I digress. 

Please take a moment, and really consider how serious the issue of abortion is. For me, this is paramount. This is the issue I can’t see past. And believe me, there are lots of other issues. But this is the one that keeps me up at night. And spiritually speaking, I think this is the issue that will speak for us in eternity. 

Forgive me if you feel that I’m attacking your right to choose. That’s not my intention. And the truth is, you matter. I respect you and your voice, even if your belief differs from mine. You and I both got to live to express our opinions and beliefs. 60 million others didn’t. 

Simply put, life is precious. It’s irreplaceable. There are no duplicates in people. Every single life is significant and immeasurably valuable. And I value life more than choice.

Sources:

*http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/factsheets/FS01AbortionintheUS.pdf

http://www.abbyjohnson.org (UnPlanned by Abby Johnson)

More resources:

http://www.numberofabortions.com

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2016/01/22/lifelong-record-roe-anniversary/

The Countdown

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm 29. 29 years old.
That number could scare me, I suppose. It means the decade of my 20's is almost over. Maybe it's intimidating because your 20's are your first full decade as an adult. You get to figure things out, all on your own. You get to do adult things and make the adult choices. No one looking over your shoulder telling you to do something different.
So you get comfortable in your 20's. They're a familiar place, a comfort place. You know your 20's. They're like an old friend.
So your 30's seem scary. Uncharted water. Places you've never been.

Now don't get me wrong. My 20's have been awesome. I met my husband, I got married in my 20's. I moved to Tucson. I've been to Brazil, to Europe. I've gotten to do incredible things. I've met incredible people. My 20's have been amazing. But it's like the book is closing, and a new one is opening.

And I refuse to be intimidated. I think my 30's are a beginning. A step into real life. Or, realer life, maybe. It reminds me of how I felt New Year's Eve, 2007. I knew 2008 was the year that was different. Every year prior I had been able to predict how the coming year would go. Nothing would change, it would all just be...the same. And it was. Until New Year's Eve 2007. I had nothing for 2008. Except that it was different. I knew I would meet my husband that year. And I did. It was just different than all the years past.

And that's how I feel about 30. Everything is gonna change. 29 is like the breath before the plunge. So now, I'm just getting ready. Things are gonna fall into place.
Another reason I love the Lord. He has this incredible way of bringing the right things at the right time. And the right things at the right time is chemical. It's reactive, it's cataclysmic. It's unstoppable.
And I really believe that's what my 30's are going to be. It's going to change everything. And I can't wait. It's only getting better.

So here's to the countdown.

September 11

It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years. I still remember where I was. I was 13. Turning 14 in a week. I was woken up that morning to the startling news. Something had happened to one of the WTC towers in New York City. An explosion maybe? A bomb? A terrorist attack? No one knew. We sat in front of the tv and watched, desperate for news. Desperate for anything to clarify what was happening. I remember watching as a second plane came flying seemingly out of nowhere and collide explosively with the second tower. I remember the news anchor’s shock as they tried to maintain their composure on national television. 

I remember sitting in confused silence in our living room. I remember everyone trying to make sense of what was happening, trying to explain it or find a answer. 

I remember watching as you could see the people inside the tower, leaning out of windows. I remember the horror I felt as all of the sudden we realized that people were jumping. 

I remember the understanding that hit me when another explosion was reported at the Pentagon. I remember understanding that something evil was happening. 15 years later I’m still not confident we know all the answers. And I won’t waste time on speculation.

I remember being glued to the tv. Just wanting any news on what was happening. I remembered thinking about all the first responders that were rushing to the scene. Firemen, paramedics, police, random bystanders who knew something needed to be done. I remember swallowing my fear as I thought about what they were running into. 

I remember watching in shock as the first tower collapsed. All I could think about was the people. How many people were in the building? How many people couldn't get out? What would happen to the people in the streets? Would they be able to get away? Would other buildings fall as a result? I remember being mad that so many people couldn’t get out. I don’t know why I was mad, but it made me angry. 

I remember I couldn't think, as I watched that tower collapse. I couldn't get a hold on what was happening. I wanted to understand, to make it make sense, but it was all happening too fast. Everything seemed out of reach. There was no rational thought to be grasped. 

I remember desperately hoping that more people could get out of the other tower. I remember silently pleading that for some unknowable reason, the second tower wouldn’t collapse. I remember the shock when it did. 

Forgive me for being so morbid, but I remember thinking about the carnage. You see, I'd read the story of the Oklahoma City bombing. I was only 8 when it happened and didn't know much about it at the time. But I read the story when I was older because I wanted to know. I remember the accounts of the paramedics finding the fingers of toddlers in the rubble. It made me sick. Who could do that to children? But I couldn't imagine the carnage the first responders would find this time. I remember how sad it made me. How could they ever recover from what they would see that day?

I remember hearing the stories of the people on the planes. Calling loved ones, understanding their fate. I remember hearing the story of the heroes that didn’t allow the final plane to get to it’s destination. 

I remember sitting and listening to our president address the nation that night. I remember the sorrow on his face. I remember how many people hated him, but no one cared that day. I remember the words of courage he spoke to us. I remember that I was proud of him, because I couldn’t imagine having to lead our country that day. I remember that my heart was proud to be an American. 

I remember being angry that my country, in which I had always felt safe, was compromised. I remember laying in bed at night for months after and being afraid every time I heard a jet overhead. A childish fear, to be sure, but real nonetheless. I remember being afraid that every day I would wake up and hear about another attack. I remember watching every jet I saw just to make sure it was going where it was supposed to. As if me watching it somehow would make it so. I remember calculating what important landmarks and government facilities were nearby, just in case. 

I remember how people looked at each other differently. I remember how there was an unspoken brotherhood, a camaraderie; we were all in this together. Strangers, and yet, familiar at the same time. People just wanted to be kind to one another. I remember how first responders were national heroes. My, how times have changed. 

15 years later I still feel the sorrow at the horrendous loss of life. I can’t look back at the videos of that day. I can’t watch the horror of it all over again. 

15 years later. Fifteen years. 

I remember. I just remember. 

And I’ll never forget. 

The Tree

There was a girl who lived up in a tree
and when they asked her why
she smiled softly to herself
and said "because up here I can see."

In a town called Reality
where nothing ever changed
and it's people, Disappointment,
could only stay the same

They'd stopped it long ago
the curiosity of dreams
mindless, they carried on
stuck forever in routine

Now this girl was a Dreamer
different from all the rest
and so they didn't like her
for she wouldn't acquiesce

So she carried on alone
and much to her dismay
it wasn't time to leave
but she had to get away

So she found a tall, tall tree
with a view for miles wide
and there she dreamed of bigger things
and from Disappointment she could hide

And so there she stayed, up in that tree
and when they asked her why
she smiled softly to herself
and said "because up here I can see."

The Rules

I'm just trying to keep it all straight. There’s a lot of rules. Life is full of them, spoken and silent. Cultural norms and expectations. We like formulas because they create logical patterns. 

So we grow up in these patterns and live in them because it’s “normal.” Or because it’s “just what people do.” 

But there’s another side to the rules. The side where you realize that you’re meant to do something outside of the box of cultural norm and expectation and then you spend half your life trying to convince yourself of it and half your life trying to make it happen because the rules we’re entrenched in are surprisingly rigid. Even though we like to say that “anyone can do anything.” What we really mean is that “anyone can do anything as long as it’s logical and fits our description of normal.” 

So what happens then, to those who break the rules? I don’t know. But I’m about to find out. 

I grew up in a very specific family (nothing wrong with that, btw). My family is full of these incredibly organized, administratively gifted people. They carry planners, and live by them. They keep intense calendars and schedules and everything must fit within the planner. They’re incredible people. Most of them work in offices, in very important administrative roles, or executive roles. And it all makes perfect sense. 

So I grew up with an innate sense of that being normal. And I grew up with this idea that I must be that way too. No one told me to be that way, it’s just what everyone did. So I guess I assumed that that must be what I’m good at too. And so I lived my adult life working in administrative roles. Every job I’ve had, that’s what I did. 

Until my last administrative job. I was 25 when I realized that I’m not good at administrative work. Not even a little bit. Not only am I not good at it, but I loathe it. I don’t enjoy details. Actually I hate being hassled over details. I’m a big picture person and I KNOW that the big picture will work. Please don’t ask me to explain the details because I hate it and often see it as a waste of my time. Explaining the details makes me hate the whole idea. 

Guess what? Administrative work IS details. Details are essential to administrative work. Details are what will make or break something. In a nutshell- I am TERRIBLE at administrative work. I can do it, sure. But I chalk that up to my work ethic, not my giftings. I will always work hard. But it took me until I was 25 to realize I was working really hard at a job that I hated and wasn’t good at. 

I can’t believe that’s just how it’s supposed to be. I won’t believe that. Because I look around at the people I respect and they not only are good at their jobs, but genuinely LOVE their jobs. So, it must be possible to have a job that you are both good at and that you LOVE. 

So it started me on this journey. Trying to figure out what in the world I am good at. What I am passionate about. I’m embarrassed to say it took me 25 years to understand that creativity isn’t simply something I enjoy but it’s what I’m good at. I am a creative person. Which is a little annoying, to be honest. 

There is a stigma on creative people that creativity is nice but it’s impractical. Some people are successful as creative types, but it’s rare. And it doesn’t make any sense to pursue it. You HAVE to do the practical thing because it makes sense. 

So I try to make sense of that thought process. So you’re saying that I have to start out successful in order to validate my creativity? Ok, well, it doesn’t work like that. What if Robin Williams had never pursued acting? What if Bono had never decided to be in a band? Think of all the CREATIVE things we wouldn’t have in the world, if the creative people weren’t creative. 

I can’t be creative if it’s only contingent on success. Being creative is WHO I am. It’s as normal to me as being organized is to an administrative type. 

The point of all this, is that we HAVE to make room for creative people to be creative. I know, I know. It’s impractical. It's risky. There’s no guarantees of success or security. Well, let us determine our own success and security. Please stop putting us in boxes and demanding us to be like everyone else. Cause I lived a life where I wasn’t creative in my job and I hated it. I never stopped writing stories, and songs. I never stopped imagining all the things I wanted to do. I never stopped being creative. Because creativity is in my DNA. It’s who I am. 

And when you ask creative people to stop being creative because it doesn’t fit a box you need it to, it’s like asking us to stop breathing. Forgive the dramatics here, but it’s like dying slowly. We picture ourselves laying awake at night every day for the rest of our lives, regretting all the things we didn’t create and imagining all the things we could’ve done. 

Help us come out of our shell. Help us break “the rules.” Help us be creative. Believe in us. Believe that we can create something that matters and something that makes a difference. Give us a chance. Don’t relegate us to living someone else’s life. Don’t relegate us to sleepless nights filled with “could’ves.” 

The world is changing. I believe it needs creative people. I think the church needs creative people. Creativity allows us to express something that is in our hearts. And somehow, when we express something in our heart it often touches someone else’s heart. Interestingly, I think if you look at God's example of creativity I think you'll see that His heart was exposed in his creation. We expose our heart in our creativity. And when we love Jesus, I think we expose HIS heart in our creativity. It's a weighty thing. And we need it. Creativity matters. We need the creative people to be creative. 

Baton Rouge

We're in a crazy time. I can't remember the world ever seeming this dark, or hateful. My heart is so heavy. I feel the weight, again, of these few days. More death. More killing. More brokenness. I have so many thoughts. So many things in my head. So here's some of my thoughts for the day. 

How many officer lives will be enough? What's the magic number when the injustices they're accused of will be "paid back." How many lives? Give me a number, so we can even the score. Will that bring peace? No. It won't. Innocent people will still be dead. No one will be brought back, justice won't be served. Stop celebrating that people have died. This is tragic, period. 

BLM, we need you to speak up. You can't scream about one unwarranted death because it fits your cause and ignore another because it doesn't. Your silence is deafening. Yikes. I'm sorry to be so blunt. 

But you should know that most often silence is interpreted as agreement. So in your silence, you should know it's taken as agreement. That you agree with these brutal, pre-meditated attacks and murder of police. And if I can be so bold, I know you don't agree with what happened today. 

Forgive me, because the police matter to me in a very personal way. I'm married to one, you see. 

So please, society as a whole: Don't celebrate what happened in Baton Rouge today. This is not victory, this is not justice. This is an atrocity. Again. 

This is not to say that you (or ANYONE) should suffer injustice at the hands of police or anyone else. You should not. Your life is literally invaluable. Black lives matter. So very much, they matter. But it also means you need to help balance the scale.

Because extremism is always wrong. On any side of the scale. Extremism creates a void of understanding, of morals, and often law-abiding behavior and common sense. Extremism always divides and never unifies. It's incapable of unity. It never accomplishes the goal. It doesn't bring equality, it can't. Extremism is often a knee-jerk reaction because something has to be done NOW. That doesn't mean it's right or helpful. 

Extremism in its most basic definition means "the furthest most point from the center." 

So when we swing so far one direction, when we focus so heavily on one side, it's extremism. And it will only divide. It will never bring unity. 

And you know what? I genuinely believe that the heart of most people is not to be extreme. I believe that most people's heart and intentions are pure. But we can't ignore that extremism is still the result. And the further we go, the more extreme it gets because it polarizes people. But I digress. 

As someone who follows Jesus, I gotta tell you: The church in its best function is not an either or mentality. The church is not either or, it's both! It's not black lives or police lives, it's BOTH. It's not you or me, it's BOTH. 

We MUST hold the scale in balance. God is balance. I'm learning this more and more in my life. 

It's great to support the BLM movement. But please, support the police too. It's great to support the police, but please, support black lives too. Be equally vocal. 

This is unity. It's saying it's not either or, it's BOTH. 

Again. I'm reminded deeply of the scripture in Galatians 5:14 "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself."

We have to LOVE each other. It's the ONE thing that sums up all the rest. We have to LOVE each other, weep with each other, honor each other, prefer each other, the list goes on and on and on.  

We gotta change, folks. I'll start with me.  

If You Must

We all have an opinion, thoughts, or sentiments that we feel compelled to share when an atrocity such as today happens.

Often we feel the need to turn to political arguments and ideologies.

But if we could, could we hold for a moment? Could we not rush to scream about policy? Could we not rush to scream our opinions? Could we not rush past the devastating loss of life, the gut-wrenching pain of those who mourn? 

Could we just for a moment, be human again? Could we just for a moment, weep with our brothers? Could we be quick to listen, and slow to speak? Could we be intentional with our words, instead of flippant?

It may seem like the days grow ever darker, so let our LOVE shine ever brighter.

For we are not of the kind who shrink back (Hebrews 10:39), but of those who have FAITH.

So.

If you must speak on the day's events:

If you must, Speak kindly of those who have been taken from us.

If you must, Speak love to those who are mourning.

If you must, Speak peace to those who are afraid.

If you must, Speak wisdom and courage to those who lead us.

If you must, speak life. 

To Nice, and all of France, we love you, we pray for you and we weep with you. 

Heart of Flesh

My heart is broken again tonight. 

Over the past two days, two men have been shot and killed by the police. Tonight, 4 officers were killed at a protest. I don't have adequate words to convey what's in my heart, or in my head. But I feel the weight of the past few days. 

More lives cut short. More death. 

Love is wrecking my life recently. And it’s a good thing. Opening my eyes beyond my ideals. Not shaking my convictions of right and wrong, but challenging my (at times) tunnel vision. It's easy to dehumanize these situations when we want to dig in our heels for our ideals. And sometimes, it's easier to ignore the problems than address them. And in so doing, we often forget that there are people on the other side of every story. People with families, and places they belonged. We’ve forgotten our humanity, it seems. 

Lives are being taken, right and left, all the time. 

I believe it so grieves the heart of God when the lives of his children are taken. He wrote our stories, you see. From beginning to end, every day was written out. Long before we born. He knows the whole story. He cares about the whole story. 

I pray we find our humanity again. Remember that no matter the circumstance, it’s about PEOPLE. Life is about PEOPLE. Eternity will be full of PEOPLE. We’re all the same, you know. 

We come from different families, with different values. Sure, we have different skin color, maybe even different sexual orientations. 

But when you strip away all the labels, we’re all the same. We’re people. With breath in our lungs and dreams in our hearts. With purposes and destinies to fulfill. 

It’s not about sides. We’re are one side. We’re human. 

Ezekiel 36:26

“I will give you a new heart and a new spirit; I will remove your heart of stone and restore your heart of flesh.” 

Oh God, take our hearts of stone and restore our hearts of flesh! That our hearts would beat for one another again. Let us leave our differences on the ground and weep with our brother. 

Let our hearts beat for one another again.